You may be a girl who has entered the kitchen for the first time after getting married. Or you may be a young student living alone, trying to grasp the basics of cooking. Or you may be someone who is not Indian at all, but wants to try cooking Indian food! Whoever you are, it may be a bit overwhelming when you first try your hand out cooking Indian. Rest assured, it will not be so difficult as time goes by and you get the hang of it. Rustling up an Indian meal is not time consuming, if you know your way around. Fresh ingredients form the basis of most Indian cooking and many households will cringe at the thought of cooking with anything that comes out of a can! Going to the local market for fresh vegetables, fruits, meat and fish is a ritual all Indians are fond of. This article will give you tips to cook Indian that will make you a happier cook.
1. Spices are an integral part of Indian cooking. Lots of spices and aromatics are used daily in the Indian kitchen. Without them, dishes would be bland and lifeless. So unless you have a basic understanding of spices, cooking will not be fun. But don't worry, it is really not as tough as it seems. In fact, you will be able to learn more about spices as you go about cooking daily meals. Turmeric, chillies, coriander, cumin, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and start anise are just a few of the spices used regularly. Apart from this, ginger, garlic and onions too are used. Different spices lend different flavors. Some are best used as a 'tadka' (a concoction of spices spluttering in hot oil or ghee) and some are used best when grounded or as a paste.
2. It is very important in Indian cuisine to have the pan hot and the oil hotter before putting in the spices or the vegetables. So turn on the heat!
3. We know that Indian spices smell awesome. But it would be a good idea to open the kitchen windows when cooking Indian food unless you want your nostrils to be invaded by the smell of strong chillie powder.
4. If a recipe calls for grinding spices like coriander or cumin, it is important that you roast them first in a pan before grinding. This will ensure that all the lovely flavors are released.
5. Use the pressure cooker as much as you can. It reduces the cooking time of meat, vegetables and lentils. In fact, some lentils will take hours to cook on the stove and so using the pressure cooker is just smarter. Take notice of the cooking times though.
6. When a dish calls for using curd or yogurt, it is a good idea if you can make it fresh at home. Store- bought yogurt just doesn't have the same taste or flavor as homemade.
7. Indian cooking relies on fresh ingredients. So as much as possible, avoid anything that comes out of a can!
1. Spices are an integral part of Indian cooking. Lots of spices and aromatics are used daily in the Indian kitchen. Without them, dishes would be bland and lifeless. So unless you have a basic understanding of spices, cooking will not be fun. But don't worry, it is really not as tough as it seems. In fact, you will be able to learn more about spices as you go about cooking daily meals. Turmeric, chillies, coriander, cumin, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and start anise are just a few of the spices used regularly. Apart from this, ginger, garlic and onions too are used. Different spices lend different flavors. Some are best used as a 'tadka' (a concoction of spices spluttering in hot oil or ghee) and some are used best when grounded or as a paste.
2. It is very important in Indian cuisine to have the pan hot and the oil hotter before putting in the spices or the vegetables. So turn on the heat!
3. We know that Indian spices smell awesome. But it would be a good idea to open the kitchen windows when cooking Indian food unless you want your nostrils to be invaded by the smell of strong chillie powder.
4. If a recipe calls for grinding spices like coriander or cumin, it is important that you roast them first in a pan before grinding. This will ensure that all the lovely flavors are released.
5. Use the pressure cooker as much as you can. It reduces the cooking time of meat, vegetables and lentils. In fact, some lentils will take hours to cook on the stove and so using the pressure cooker is just smarter. Take notice of the cooking times though.
6. When a dish calls for using curd or yogurt, it is a good idea if you can make it fresh at home. Store- bought yogurt just doesn't have the same taste or flavor as homemade.
7. Indian cooking relies on fresh ingredients. So as much as possible, avoid anything that comes out of a can!
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